Saturday, August 19, 2006

Finding Fiction

Can't decide what book to read next? We can help!Next time you're in the library, stop by the reference desk to see if we can give you some ideas. Or if you want to do some book hunting from your computer at home, (or even while you're here), try out our new book recommendation database, Novelist .Novelist can give you suggestions based on your favorite titles or authors. It can also tell you about books that have similar settings or themes. So, check it out- your next great read is waiting!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Fforde is Fun!!

Ever wish you could step into a book and talk with your favorite characters? Do you wonder why the 3 Little Bears each had their own bed or just what Humpty Dumpty was doing on that wall when he fell? Do you think the Gingerbread man is just a teeny bit creepy? Well then check out the wonderfully wacky book world of Jasper Fforde.

In his first series, Fforde has created an amazing alternate world in which Special Operative Thursday Next (star of the Thursday Next Series) can step into the book world to mingle with such memorable literary characters as Miss Haversham (Great Expectations) Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) and the Cheshire Cat (of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/ Through the Looking Glass fame). In book one (The Eyre Affair), Thursday must save a kidnapped Jane Eyre from the evil Acheron Hades. Later books chronicle Thursday's adventures in the book world while in the witness protection program.

(Thursday Next Series: The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; Something Rotten)

Classis British literature not your style? Check out Fforde's Nursery Crime Series. Join detectives Jack Spratt and Mary Mary of the Nursery Crime Division as they attempt to solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty and the case of the 4th Bear. But be sure to watch out for Jack's nemesis- that homicidal maniac, the Gingerbread Man.

(Nursery Crime Series: The Big Over Easy; The Fourth Bear)

**Warning- an active imagination and a love of great literary characters are a prerequisite for enjoying these books.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

New Releases on DVD

For the FamilyThe Shaggy Dog {Widescreen}Running Time: 1hr 38minRating: PG {Contains some mild rude humor}Subtitles: French and SpanishStatus: In stores now on DVD

Summary: Tim Allen transforms from family dad to family dog and back again in this update of the Disney comedy. It all begins when workaholic Deputy D.A. Dave Douglas (Allen) takes on a case involving an animal laboratory -- one that will take him away yet again from his wife and kids. But when Dave is accidentally infected with a top-secret, genetic-mutation serum, everything he thought he knew about himself and his family, changes. Yet with his newly perked-up ears, and his front-row seat on the household carpet, Dave is able to gain a whole new perspective into his family's secrets and dreams. Now, he wants nothing more than to stop fetching and return to fathering -- only first he'll have to stop the evil forces behind the serum.

For AdultsV for Vendetta Special Edition {Widescreen}Running Time: 2hrs 11minRating: R {Strong Violence and Language}Subtitles: French, Spanish and EnglishStatus: In stores now on DVD

Summary:A terrorist freedom fighter known only as "V" begins a violent guerilla campaign to destroy those who've succumbed to totalitarianism. Recruiting a young woman he's rescued from the secret police to join him, V vows to carry out the plot that Guy Fawkes was executed for attempting on November 5th in 1605: he will blow up Parliament.

DVD Extras:Disc 1: The Making of V for VendettaDisc 2: Designing the Near Future ; Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot ; England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the new wave in comics ; Cat Power Montage Theatrical trailer

Saturday, July 22, 2006

A treat for your Summer menu!

They're good for you, taste great, what's not to like?

It’s blueberry season! Boxes of blue goodness everywhere. Blueberries are healthy containing vitamin C, E and lots of fiber. They are also low in calories. They are the only natural fruit that’s blue. So you have to love them! You can do anything with a blueberry you can do with any other kind of berry. They do make great muffins wonderful on short cakes or in trifles.

Monday, July 17, 2006

"Jack the Ripper: Whitechapel Murderer"Tuesday, July 18 @ 7:00

In 1888, a killer known only as "Jack the Ripper" terrorized London's Whitechapel District by murdering "unfortunate women." To this day, the identity of the world's first serial killer remains unknown. So- who was Jack? What made him murder those women? Was it a plot to protect the crown? Anglophile Linda Putnam returns to the library to present "Jack the Ripper: Whitechapel Murderer", discussing Jack's possible identities and presenting photos of his victims and London's East End in the 19th Century. So, come beat the heat to discuss a little cold blooded murder.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Pirates Rrrrrr Cool!

This summer, with the release of the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, pirates are more in vogue that ever. Indeed, the movie grossed $132 million in its first weekend, breaking a record set by Spiderman 2 for opening weekend earnings (http://movies.go.com/boxoffice). Fans of the movie have been attending the showings dressed as their favorite character. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest does not disappoint true Pirates of the Caribbean fans. While the movie is much darker than the first, it is full of humorous moments and many inside jokes from The Curse of the Black Pearl (hint- re- watch the first before you go see the second). The movie is full of suspense right up to the last minute, and leaves you wondering- "what's gonna happen next?" However, unless you've got director Gore Verbinski or Johnny Depp on your speed dial, we'll have to wait until summer 2007 to find out.

In the mean time, can't get enough of pirates? Check out these books at the library:*Raiders & Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Sherry Frank(Adult Non-Fiction 364.164 Sherry)*Dangerous Waters by John S. Burnett(Adult Non-Fiction 940.45 Bur)*Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly(Adult Non-Fiction 910.45 Cor)*Pirates: Terror on the High Seas edited by David Cordingly(Adult Non-Fiction 910.45 Pir Oversize)*The End of Barbary Terror: America's 1815 War Against the Pirates of North Africaby Frederick Leiner (Adult New Non-Fiction 973.47 Lei)

And for the kid at heart- check out these novels:

*Peter and the Starcatchers (a prequel to Peter Pan)by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson(Juvenile Fiction Barry)*Captain Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart (the man who wrote thescreenplay to the movie Hook). (Young Adult Fiction Hart)* Castaways of the Flying Dutchman and The Angels Command: A Tale From the Castwaysof the Flying Dutchman both by Brian Jacques (Young Adult Fiction Jacques)*Pirates! by Celia Rees. (Young Adult Fiction Rees)*Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson.(Juvenile Fiction Stevenson)

Lastly, there's Grania: She-king of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn (Adult New Fiction Llywelyn) which is the basis for the new musical The Pirate Queen by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil (creators of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon).The Pirate Queen makes its world premier this fall at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre.

With all these great options its easy to see why pirates really Rrrr cool!